My Focus Not On 2023 Presidency – Fayemi

Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi, yesterday, said his focus is to uplift the state and not the 2023 presidency.

Reacting to his campaign posters on social media, he urged the public to disregard them.

The poster with APC logo that read, ‘Support His Excellency Dr. John Kayode Fayemi for President 2023’, was sponsored by the chairman of Ikere Local Government Area of the state, Mr Femi Ayodele.

Ayodele, said designed the posters to show his unalloyed and uncompromising loyalty to Fayemi against insinuation that he was working against him.

But while reacting through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr.  Yinka Oyebode, the governor said the sponsor was only expressing a mere personal opinion.

“My principal was focused on governance and how to uplift Ekiti in terms of infrastructural, economic and social development instead of issues around 2023 elections,” he said.

Fayemi reshuffles cabinet, nominates 7 commissioners, 2 board members

Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has sent seven names of commissioner nominees to the House of Assembly for approval.

The major rejig must have been a deft move to placate some All Progressives Congress (APC) members, who felt short-changed with the way the cabinet was composed in 2018 .

 

Some APC members accused the governor of placing premium on appointment of professionals into his cabinet at the expense of politicians, who laboured for his victory in the July 14, 2018 poll.

This formed part of the issues raised by a presidential aide, Babafemi Ojudu, and other 12 aggrieved leaders in their diatribe against Fayemi, alleging that core politicians within the party, were sidelined in the cabinet.

But on Tuesday, Fayemi sent the list of seven new commissioner nominees to the Assembly for screening and ratification.

During the plenary, Speaker Funminiyi Afuye read the names of the nominees, including Diran Adesua (Ekiti East), Olabode Adetoyi (Moba), Olabimpe Aderiye (Ido Osi), Oye Filani (Ikole),  Iyabo Fakunle (Ilejemeje), Mariam Ogunlade (Emure) and Akin Omole (Oye), to the members.

Also nominated for board positions are Femi Akinwunmi, Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board, while the current Commissioner for Lands, Febisola Adewale, has been sent for confirmation as commissioner in the Local Government Service Commission.

Fayemi’s Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, said it was part of the strategies to fortify the cabinet and bring in new bloods with fresh ideas to develop the state.

Oyebode, who spoke via telephone, said Fayemi was determined to deliver on his mandate to bring economic prosperity, by working with other progressives to give the people the required dividends of democracy.

Ekiti schools resume August 10, churches, mosques, August 14

The Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, on Wednesday, announced that schools would resume on August 10 in the state for final year students in Senior Secondary School 3 private and public schools.

Fayemi also said religious centres would be reopened on August 14.

The Governor announced this in a statewide broadcast, according to a statement by his

Chief Press Secretary, Olayinka Oyebode.

In the statement titled, Lessons from my COVID-19 Infection’, Fayemi expressed concern over an increase in the rate of infection in the last one month in the state with 109 fresh cases.

The governor said COVID-19 protocols would be strictly adhered to as schools open with only SSS 3 students on August 10 and religious centres from August 14, while resumption date for JSS 3 students and Primary 6 pupils would be communicated later.

Fayemi said, “The Task Force leadership have told me that many religious worship centres are now ready and should be able to reopen for service according to the established protocols from August 14, 2020.

“I want to appeal to religious centres as moral agents and institutions reputed for discipline. They must ensure the jointly agreed protocols are adhered to, to protect lives of worshipers as they go about their activities from August 14, 2020.

“Key aspects of the protocols include but are not limited to the following: fumigation of the worship centres and their surroundings, maintenance of social distancing of six-feet apart during worship, provision of infrared thermometer, provision of hand sanitizers and ensuring the windows and doors are wide open.

“The protocols also implicate that there should be no multiple services, and services must be concluded within two hours while children below 12 years of age and elderly people above 65 are not allowed to attend services or Salat until further notice. An attendance register must be provided by each worship centre to record attendance.

“For the avoidance of doubt, only Friday Jumat for Muslims, Saturday Sabbath for Adventists and Sunday Services for other Christians denominations are allowed. Weekly and vigil services are not to hold in the meanwhile. Similarly, all traditional worships of festivals that demand large gathering of devotees are suspended until further notice.”